This book is a tome! I mean, it's a serious undertaking. James has clearly done his research, both in facts, but also on Jamaican society. The most amazing thing to me about the book was how he kept the majority of it in Jamaican patois, which, while making for a difficult read in the beginning, really brings out the unique setting of the book.

A Brief History follows a whole host of characters involved in the assassination attempt on Bob Marley. It takes a while to get into James' style, which includes shifting characters each chapter. But it's worth hanging with the book to really get deep on what life is like for a certain subset of people in Jamaica (hint: beyond the tourist eye), and to learn some really interesting history about Marley, the CIA, and the drug trade at that time. Sounds like he has more coming in his next book as well!